The day after the marriages, Visvamitra, traveled north towards the Himalayas.Dasaratha too departed, bidding farewell to Janaka who saw him off with all due honors and with many gifts to his daughters. Dasaratha started on the journey with his sons, their new brides, the preceptors and the army.A few miles into their travel, the crows soaring high up in the skies along with other birds suddenly started a cacophony of noises. Calling out shrilly and shrieking fearfully, they boded ill and animals on the ground ran in circles. Dasaratha voiced his worry saying, "The birds are crying out in terror, the animals are running around in a frenzy, and my heart quivers.My mind fears a calamity and I am sad". Hearing these words, Vasishta said, "The birds indicate an imminent ill, but the animals indicate the speedy negation of it, so do not brood my Lord"!

No sooner had Vasishta spoken, when sudden tempestuous winds uprooted the trees. The earth shuddered, the Sun hid in darkness, the directions lost their brilliance and the army fell to earth in a faint soon to be covered by ashes that were blown in by the winds. Out of that terrible darkness, Dasaratha beheld the emergence of an ominous form with matted hair, carrying a menacing axe, a bow and a quiver full of arrows, which were like streaks of lightening. It was Prasurama the son of Jamadagni.Invincible to the most valiant of kings, inviolable like Mount Kailash, he looked like Lord Siva, while slaying Tripurasura.His radiance was awesome and no ordinary mortal could behold that dazzling splendor.

Striding forth like a colossus, he made the sages suspect that enraged at the killing of his father by Karthaviryarjuna, he was out to eliminate the very Kshatriya race.Trying to soothe him, the sages offered Arghya to Parasurama and spoke to him quietly and gently.Accepting the homage, the fierce brahmin addressed Rama.